Wire screens are used for chemical filtration, architectural accents, and other purposes. FIG. 1 shows the typical construction of a prior art wire screen. As shown, the screen has parallel wires 12 attached by welds 16 to parallel rods 14 oriented perpendicularly thereto. The wires 12 can be V-shaped wires, and the rods 14 can be cylindrical, square, etc. Both the wires 12 and rods 14 are typically made of stainless steel, but they can be made of other materials, including aluminum and copper alloys.
In industrial applications, gaps between the screen's wires 12 can filter chemical compositions, solids, etc. In architectural applications, the screens can be used on a building as a decorative feature for frontages, overhangs, column covers, floor gratings, ventilation grids, wall partitions, handrails, etc. For example, the Seven World Trade Center in New York and the Guthrie Theater parking garage in Minneapolis have wire screens that cover the exterior. Typically, the architectural design of such wire screens has focused on the reflectivity and orientation of the wire surfaces to enhance appearance.